A government-appointed committee probing the recent stampede at the annual temple festival in Shirgaon, North Goa, has revealed that a similar but minor incident had occurred at the same spot during last year’s festivities. The area has now been identified as accident-prone, raising questions about the adequacy of preventive measures taken by the authorities.
The stampede, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, claimed six lives and left more than 70 devotees injured. Thousands had gathered to seek blessings at the temple of Goddess Sree Lairai Devi when chaos erupted on a narrow, sloped path leading to the temple.
According to a senior government official, the fact-finding committee, led by Commissioner and Secretary Sandeep Jacques, has been actively recording statements from key administrative and police personnel involved in crowd management. The panel also includes Deputy Inspector General Varsha Sharma, Director of Transport Pravimal Abhishek, and Superintendent of Police Tikam Singh Verma.
“We have gathered that a similar incident, though on a minor scale, had occurred last year at the same spot. The location is a slope and has been deemed accident-prone. The committee is now trying to determine the exact cause of this year’s tragedy,” the official told PTI.
The investigation has so far included statements from North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte, SP Akshat Kaushal, DySP Jivba Dalvi, Deputy Collector Bhimnath Khorjuvekar, and members of the temple committee. The committee is also planning to interact with victims of the stampede after allowing them time to recover at home.
Initial findings suggest that a fight between two groups of pilgrims may have triggered the panic. Additionally, authorities are examining why vendors were permitted to set up stalls along the narrow paths, contributing to congestion.
Director General of Police Alok Kumar had earlier stated that between 30,000 and 40,000 devotees had gathered for the event. He reported that around 50 people fell while standing on a slope, which led to a cascading fall and the subsequent stampede, though the incident remained localized to that area.
The committee is expected to submit its final report in a few days after compiling all testimonies and evidence. It aims to provide a factual and detailed account of the tragedy, along with recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future.
Sources By Agencies
